“My God, this has to be divine intervention!”
“You’re right! Our multitude of skills failed to trigger any control effects. That sudden success of the Frost Arrow Spell has to be God’s doing.”
The students praised the heavens while the four guards seized the moment.
They swiftly advanced, weapons crashing down on the icy encasement.
With a thunderous sound, the ice shattered, and with it, Vampire Baron·Huesman was fractured.
His left arm splintered off, half of it tumbling to the ground with the broken shards of ice, only to crumble moments later.
Agony surged like a tidal wave within Vampire Baron·Huesman, causing him to unleash a piercing scream.
Regrettably for him, the guards, seasoned in combat, resisted the sonic assault.
One directly charged forward, clamping down on the Vampire Baron·Huesman’s neck, while the others continuously swung their weapons at him.
Even Olynda, who previously had her wrist injured, gritted her teeth, transferring her dagger to her left hand and driving it fiercely into Vampire Baron·Huesman’s chest.
In this digital realm, this was the raw, unembellished nature of hand-to-hand combat—no elaborate skills, no refined fighting techniques, just relentless assault.
The five guards, esteemed by the Bartel family, possessed formidable combat prowess.
Their rapid assaults, combined with Vampire Baron·Huesman’s initial incapacitation by Howard’s spell, left him disoriented.
Even after the ice shattered, the Baron wasn’t fully recovered.
Held by his throat, he was defenseless.
Blood-red damage numbers incessantly flashed above his head.
By the time Vampire Baron·Huesman gathered his senses, his HP was already below half.
“Cursed insects, I’ll drain every drop of your blood!”
In his fury, Vampire Baron·Huesman summoned the bloodthirsty bats once more.
They emerged, roaring like a torrent, charging at the four guards.
But the Baron’s move was all too familiar.
The guards were ready.
The one armed with the shield stepped forward, shielding his comrades.
The other three guards, taking advantage of the bats’ distraction, rolled aside and immediately unleashed their skills, aiming straight for the Vampire Baron·Huesman, who was controlling the bats.
Sharp weapons sliced through the air, tearing into Vampire Baron·Huesman’s form with clear, resonant strikes.
This very blow disrupted his skill, causing him to stumble, nearly falling flat on the ground.
“Deadly Chain Thrust!”
Seizing the moment, Olynda swung her dagger with her left hand, lunging fiercely at Vampire Baron·Huesman.
However, the Baron, seemingly faltering, suddenly reached out and grabbed Olynda’s wrist with immense force.
“Ah!”
“Snap!”
The chilling sound of a breaking bone echoed simultaneously with her scream.
Overwhelmed by the excruciating pain, Olynda’s eyes rolled back, and she fainted, collapsing to the ground.
“Damn it, he was feigning weakness all along!”
“Frenzy Axe Strike!”
Witnessing Olynda’s fall ignited a burning rage in the four guards.
One of them leapt into the air, furiously swinging his axe, targeting Vampire Baron·Huesman.
At that critical moment, just as the Baron was about to counter, a sharp sword impaled his chest, halting his movement momentarily.
The precise timing allowed the axe to land squarely on Vampire Baron·Huesman’s head.
Blood and flesh splattered, distorting his face into a grotesque mess.
The brutal blow to the head not only sent Vampire Baron·Huesman’s HP plummeting but also left him dazed and disoriented.
“Now’s our chance! Finish him off! Go!”
The guards swarmed him. The one with the shield hurled it aside, and tackled the Baron to the ground. Another guard leapt high, brandishing his long sword, preparing to strike down.
However, Vampire Baron·Huesman was a formidable boss.
Despite the relentless onslaught, he still had the power to counter.
Before the guard’s blade could descend, the silhouette of the bloodthirsty bat manifested, shifting the Baron slightly to the side.
In the next moment, the sword cleaved the ground, leaving a deep gash.
But in a surprising twist, Vampire Baron·Huesman took flight, capitalizing on the brief moment when the guard’s momentum was spent.
With a flourish of his cloak, he ensnared the guard, whisking him into the air.
“Ahh!”
A cry of agony pierced the air.
Almost immediately, the cloak unfurled, revealing the guard’s rigid form plummeting to the ground, lifeless upon impact.
The spectacle sent ripples of horror through the watching students.
Those five guards were all level 30 big shots, yet before Vampire Baron·Huesman, they seemed so fragile.
While the students were struck with fear, the remaining three guards remained unyielding.
Although their hearts grieved, their gaze never wavered from the figure of Vampire Baron·Huesman.
“Blade aura resonance!”
In an instant, one guard noticed the Baron’s hovering figure seemed to wobble.
Without hesitation, he unleashed his skill.
Moments later, an aura of the blade shot forth from his sword, striking Vampire Baron·Huesman squarely.
Already on his last legs, the Baron shuddered and crashed heavily onto the ground.
Wounded multiple times, he struggled weakly with his health points dwindling to a mere sliver.
However, learning from the fate of Olynda and their fellow guard, the three didn’t recklessly approach.
Instead, they executed another skill.
As the giant axe fell once again, Vampire Baron·Huesman’s health depleted entirely, his head bursting like an overinflated balloon.
[Ding! Congratulations, Awakened Howard and team for successfully defeating Silver BOSS·Vampire Baron·Huesman. Team reward: 20,000 experience points!]
A bountiful experience reward in hand, a smile crept onto Howard’s face. .𝒎
Observing the events unfold without expending much energy, and earning a significant team experience reward, this dungeon venture was undoubtedly lucrative.
More importantly, Vampire Baron·Huesman had eliminated two of the guards for him. When the time came, he would only need to face three.
As for Carlos Bartel?
He hadn’t even reached level 10. Recently awakened, and without any combat experience, Howard could easily take him down.
“Young master, the loot is yours to claim.”
Assured of Vampire Baron·Huesman’s demise, the surviving guards didn’t check the spoils.
Instead, their eyes turned expectantly to Carlos Bartel.
Being mere guards, they had no right to claim the loot, even if they were the ones who had felled the monsters, including the boss.
“Well done. Upon our return, each of you shall receive ten gold coins from the steward,” Carlos Bartel remarked, sensing the envious glances from the surrounding students.
His words painted expressions of joy on the faces of the three guards.
However, when the three guards witnessed the tragic deaths of Olynda and the guard enveloped by Vampire Baron·Huesman’s cloak, sorrow inevitably weighed heavily on their hearts.
Vampire Baron·Huesman possessed the Hemotoxin skill.
Olynda, already tainted by the toxin and with her arm twistedly broken, succumbed to the venomous blood assault, dying within moments.
As for the other guard, his neck had been gruesomely bitten off.
“My God, it actually dropped a compass! With this compass, we can locate the Castle of Vampires hidden within the Silent Forest!”
“Ruins! The Castle of Vampires is definitely among the ruins!”
Exclamations of surprise rang out, and the jubilant gleam on Carlos Bartel’s face was undeniable.
Their family was not lacking in wealth or prestige.
What they craved were treasures!
These ruins could potentially alleviate their family’s predicament.
For a moment, Carlos Bartel seemed to forget about Abby entirely, swiftly stashing the compass into his Storage Bag.
Realizing he might have overstepped, Carlos hastily remarked, “Well, we mostly owe this dungeon’s success to my family’s guards. I’m taking this compass. I trust no one has any objections?”
“None.”
“My dear Carlos, you’ve led us through this dungeon, secured the experience reward; the loot is rightfully yours.”
The multitude of students nodded in agreement.
Why would they ever cross Carlos Bartel?
The balance of power was clear.
The Bartel family was a veritable giant in Saint City.
Seeing their consensus, Carlos Bartel grinned, “I’ll keep the compass; the rest of the loot is yours.”
“Oh my, Carlos, you’re incredibly generous!”
“Long live Carlos!”
“I swear in God’s name, you’re the finest brother in my heart.”
Hearing this, the elated students quickly approached, eager to see what other treasures Vampire Baron·Huesman had yielded.
𝘳𝘦.𝒸𝑜𝘮